Type-writing machine.



No. s57,|s7. V I Patented Sept. 4, won.

G. B. WEBB. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 24, 1899.)

(No Model.)

' INVENTCIR' WITNESSES:

Unrrnn Starts PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. l VEBB, OF \VESTFIELD, NE? JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE YVYGKOFF, SEAMANS & BENEDICT, OF ILION, NEW YORK.

TYPE WFHTING MACHINE.

SPEQIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,187, dated September 4, 1900. Application m June 24,1899. Serial No. 721,685. (No model.)

To (L-ZZ 2072 07) it may concern;

Be it known that I, GEORGEB. 'WEBB, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Westlield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-lVriting Maehines,of which the followingisaspecifieation.

My present invention relates to that general description of card-holders for type-writing machines made the subject-matter of my Letters Patent No. 575,917, dated January 26, 1807, and has for its main object to im' prove the construction and to provide means whereby the cardholder may be more conveniently attached and detached from the clamping devices fixed at the end of the platen.

A further object of my invention is to so construct and arrange such means as that there shall be no projecting members to in-.

terfere with the use of the machine when writing upon cards or when usedfor ordinary purposes.

To these ends the invention includes features of construction and combinations of devices hereinafter described,and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

The preferred form of theinvention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a plan View of a platen-carrier and platen, showing the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional view 011 the plane indicated in Fig. 1 by the line X X looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail View showing a springcatch and a cam-lever in normal position on the platen. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the catch and lever in different positions and showing also a card-holder in end view. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the spring-catch shown in the preceding figures. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the cam-lever shown in Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the cardholder shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4..

The same part will be referred to by the same numeral of reference;

1 indicates a platen-carrier such as is in use in the Remington No. 6 machine; 2, a roller-platen journaled in carrier 1; 3, handwheels on the-ends of platen-shaft 4; '5, the

usual ratchet-wheel at the right-hand end of the platen 2; 6, the rear bar of carrier 1; 7, ears or lugs attached to or formed on bar 6; 8, arms pivotally connected at 9 to ears 7; 10, pressure-rolls journaled in ears of arms 8; l1, springs attached at 12 to arms 8 and bearing against lugs 13 on hair 6 to press rolls 10 against platen 2; 14, a rock-shaft jour'naled in frame 1; 15, arms pivoted on shaft 14 and carrying the platen scale-bar16,against which the lower ends of springs 11 bear, as shown; 17, arms on shaft 14, which bear on plates 18, secured to arms 8, and press the arms 8 and rollers 10 away from the platen when moved rearward by the rocking of the shaft 14; 19, a pressure-roll in front of the platen; 20, a pivoted arm carrying roll 19; 21 22, clamp members pressed against the front bar 23 of.

carrier 1 by spring 24; 25, a screw passing freely through member 22 and engaging a threaded hole in member 21 and provided with a knurled head 26, the clamp carrying the arm 20 and being adjustable along bar 23.

The above-described devices are usually to be found in the aforesaid Remington No. 6 type writing machine and are not all fully shown herein. I p

In this construction the platen comprises a wooden core 27 and a rubber sheath or cover 27 the core extending out beyond the sheath at each end of the platen. Segmental plates 28 and bosses 29 thereon are let into the core 27 where exposed, as aforesaid, and are secured to the core, as by wood-screws 30, in order to provide durable parts for coaction with devices to be described. A segmental groove or depression is formed in the core to receive the segmental metal plate 28, and a radial hole is bored through the core to receive the boss 29 on the under side of said plate. The bosses or hubs 29 are hollow and areinteriorly screw-threaded to receive screws 31, by means of which plate-springs 32 are adjustably secured to the platen ends. The springs 32 are curved to have about the same radius as the reduced end portions of the platen and are provided with longitudinal slots 33, through which the screws 31 pass. The ends 34 of the springs 32 which are adjacent the slots 33 are curved outwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, and the free ends 35 of the springs 32 ICO are bent inwardly, as shown clearly in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5. Adjacent the ends each spring is formed with a U-shaped slot 36, leaving a spring-tongue 37. The side bars 38 of the slots 36 are curved or bent outwardly to form bearings 39 for a purpose presently to be explained. For the purpose of conveniently forcing or lifting the ends 35 of the springs 32 away from the platen, the springs themselves extending circumferentially thereof, I provide levers with ears or lugs 41, arranged at a distance apart such that they may straddle the tongues 37 aforesaid with ease. The inner faces 42 of ears 41 are curved t0 the same radius as the outer faces of plates 28, for a purpose soon to be explained. The lugs 41 of levers 40 are perforated transversely for the reception of pins 4 hich are forced in to be rigid each with its lever 40 and which between lugs 41, at

' least, are flattened on the side next faces .42

to coact, with the spring-tongues 37 aforesaid to hold levers 40 down in the position shown in Fig. 2, the projecting *ends of pins 43 being journaled in bearings 39 aforesaid. The bearings 3 are at o e s de of pins 43 and the tongues 37 at the opposite side the eof, thus retaining the levers 40 in place. The levers 40 are curved to lie below the periphcry of the rubber sheath, and the endsof lugs 4 are rounded, as shown, so a o slide or ork easily on e plates 28 whenever the levers a e turned. to and om the positio shown in Fig. 4. In turning from the position thereof shown in Fig, 3 to the position thereof shown in Fig. 4 the lever 40 lifts the spring 32 from the positi t ereo shown in Fig 3 to t e pos io thereo shown in F g, The extreme end 4 o lever 40 is tu ned o twardly in order that the lever may be graspe more easily by the finger, When the lever 40 is down in the position shown in Fig. 3,

- the faces 42 aforesaid form stops for coac tion with plate 28 in limiting-the motion of the catch 35 inwardly.

The card-holder 45'comprises a plate curved or concaved to conform 'to the curvature of the platen and having its oa daholding edge or lip 46 pa allel with the ax s 4 of he p a en when in place thereon, as hereinafter set forth, The ma n p rtion o plate 4 s show as of the same length as the ubber shea aforesaid, ith a sunken par 47 at the righthand end o the platen, the lip 46 end ng a it reaches such. pa t 4. Part of plate 45 when on. the platen extends ove the reduced ends thereof, as at 48, and the extensions 48 are formed wi h or have attached thereto blocks 49, which are formed with notches 50 for ooaetio ith catches 35 aforesaid. By prefer nce the notches .50 are ormed by faces radial to he p a en en the pla e 4 is hereon and y opposing faces 51. which are oblique or nclined in ardly (relative to the platen) towa d sai rad al faces 51, and the projectio s 52 of blocks 9, on wh ch sa d. inclined faces are located, are formed with wedge-shaped edges. The projections 52 are at the side of blocks 49 opposite to or away from the card-holding lip 46.

The operation of the foregoing devices is as follows: Suppose the parts to be in the positions shown in Fig. 3 and it be desired to put the card-holder on the platen and to insert a card. Each lever 40 is lifted by the finger to the position shown in Fig. 4, thus lifting each spring-catch 35, as shown in Fig. 4. In this position the cam-lever 40 looks the catch in its elevated position. The plate 45 is next placed on the platen with its notched blocks 49 under the catches 35, the lovers 40 are turned back toward the platen and are snapped down by the springs 32,

and the catches 35 engage the notches 50. The catches 35 may strike the inclines 51 and cam or force the holder 45 slightly circumferentially of the platen until the radial faces 51 of blocks 49 aforesaid stop or arrest such motion by coming in contact'with the ends of catches 35, as shown in Fig. 2, in which position of the parts the shoulder at the line of joinder of lip 46 to plate 45 is parallel with the axis of the platen, and so with any line of print thereafter made while the card-holder is thus locked securely on the platen, The platen may be turned backward and forwardat will while the holder is in place, except that the holder cannot pass scale-bar 16 as the platen is rotated backwardly.

In the use or operation of the contrivance the leading edge of a card 53 is inserted under the ledge 46 and into the space or pocket formed between the said ledge and the platen, and the platen is then rotated to bring the card to the impressionrpoint. The machine shown belongs to the so-called underestrike class, and in such amachine the platen, Cardholder, and the card are rotated down to bring the card to the under side of the platen for printing. At Fig. 2 the card is in position for printing, at which time it will be observed that the leading edge of the card is held by the lip or ledge 46, the bar 16, and the roller 10, so that the card is bent to conform accurately to the surface of the platen, and that in feeding the card by rotating the platen the rollers 10 act to bend the card about the platen. Of course a feed-clamp, pressure-blade, deflector, or other known substitute for the feed-roller may be used instead of or in conjunction with the latter,

The card-holder may be adjusted circumferentially of the platen, and so with respect to the ratchet-wheel 5, by means of the screws 31, the slots 33, and springs 32, and thus vary the distance from the top of the card at which the writing may begin, since the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 5 determine the longitudinal planes of the platen on which the type strike to give impressions. In other words, the leading edge of the card may be stopped at different distances from the plane in which ICO the type strike by moving or adjusting the plate 45 circumferentially through the medium of the slotted springs 32 and screws 31. WVhen a card has been brought to the desired position, the types are actuated in the'usual way to effect the printing.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the spring-catch at each reduced end of the platen when in normal condition lies substantially concentric with the platen and that the handle end of its lifting or operating lever is so shaped and connected thereto as that when the lever is likewise in normal condition it is substantially concentric with said spring-catch and lies down close upon the same and below the plane of the working face of the platen both when the cardholder is in place and when it is removed from the machine, thus providing a neat, compact, and effective construction and one in which none of the parts or members thereof project or protrude to an extent such as to interfere with the work. It will also be observed that the lever is pivoted between its ends upon the spring-catch itself and that the inner or cam end of the lever is adapted to bear on the platen or upon the plate 28 thereon in the operation of lifting or raising the spring-catch and also that when both spring-catches have thus been lifted and are being held up by their respective levers, as shown at Fig 4C, the card-holder may be readily placed in position upon the platen for engagement with said spring-catches, and while there held with one hand the levers may be pushed down with the other hand to release the catches and enable them to engage with the notched portions of the cardholder. lVhen the work with the card-holder is finished, the latter may be conveniently detached from the platen by simply raising the levers and theirconnectedspring-catches, which is an operation requiring only a few seconds. In fact, the card-holder may be at tached and detached in much less time, with greater facility, and with less muscular effort than the card-holdershown in my aforesaid prior patent, it being necessary in the last-mentioned construction to force or wedge the card-holder into and out of position against the tension of quite stiff springs and which are operations that cannot be performed with ease and expedition.

Of course the invention is equally applicable to the so-called front-strike, topstrike, or visible-writing machines.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. lhe combination of a platen, springcatches secured thereto, a card-holder provided with notched ends or arms, and levers connected to said spring-catches for opening and closing the same.

2. The combination of a platen, movable spring-catches secured thereto, a card-holder provided with notched ends or arms and camlevers for operating said catches.

The combination of a platen, movable plate-springs each secured at one end to the platen and having its free end turned inwardly to form a catch, and a card-holder having blocks with adjacent inclined and stop faces whereby the inturned ends of the said springs coact with said stop and inclined faces to force the holder to and to retain it in position on the platen.

4:. The combination of a platen, movable plate-springs each secured at one end to the platen and having its free end turned inwardly to form a catch, a card-holder having ends provided with radial stop faces and outer faces inclining inwardly to said stepfaces and forming notches whereby the inturned ends of said springs and said radial and inclined faces coact to force the holder into and to retain the same in position, and cam-levers connected to and operating said springs to lift said ends out of engagement with said notched ends of the holder.

5. The combination of a platen, springcatches secured to the ends thereof, cam-levers for moving the free ends of said catches away from said platen, and a card-holder provided with projecting cam-blocks adapted to coact with said catches in locking the holder to the platen.

6. The combination of a platen, platesprings adj ustably secured to the ends thereof and having inturned catches at their own free ends and also having each a slot near the said catches, and the side bars at said slots being formed with bearings, cam-levers having fulerum or pivot pins adapted to said bearings, and a card-holder having notched blocks connected thereto and adapted to coact with said catches in looking the holder to the platen.

7. The combination of a platen having reduced ends, segmental plates having inwardly-proj ectin g bosses or hubs, both plates and hubs being let into said ends, means for attaching said plates to said ends, slotted plate-springs, screws passing through said slots and adjustably securing the springs to said plates and hubs, and said springs also having U-shaped slots with transverse bearings in the outer bars thereof, cam-levers, pins thereon adapted to rest and to be held by the tongues of the U -slots in said bearings, catches at the free ends of said slotted plates, a card-holder, and notched blocks connected with said holder and adapted to coact with said catches to retain the holder in place on the platen.

8. The combination of a platen having reduced ends, plate-springs secured each near or at one end to said reduced ends and pro vided each with a U shaped slot near its free end so as to produce a spring-tongue, bean ings in the side bars of the U-slots, cam-levers adapted to coact with said reduced ends to lift said springs and journaled in said bearin gs and having flattened parts coacting with the spring-tongues of the U-slots, and a cardholder having ends adapted to coact with the ends of said springs in detachably securing the holder on the platen.

9. The combination of a platen having reduced ends, plate-springs secured each at one end to said reduced platen ends and having their free ends turned inwardly and provided with U shaped slots near said free ends, bearings in the side bars of said slot, cam-levers provided with parallel lugs or ears having in.- ner faces concentric with said reduced ends and adapted to straddle the tongues of said slots, pins passing through and projecting beyond said lugs and journaled in said bearings and having each a flattened side between said lugs for ooact'ion with said spring-tongue, and a card-holder having notched ends for coaction with the said in'turned spring ends.

10. The combination of a platen having reduced ends, plate-springs secured each at one end to said reduced platen ends andhaving their free ends turned inwardly and provided with U shaped slots nearsaid free ends, bearings in the side bars of said slots, camrlevers provided with parallel lugs 0r ears having inner faces concentric with said reduced ends and adapted to straddle the tongues of said slots, pins passing through and projecting beyond said lugs and journaled in said bearings and having each a flatten ed side between said lugs for coaction with said spring-tongue, and a card-holder having ends provided with radial stop-faces and blocks connected to said ends and having outer faces inclining inwardly to said stop-faces, whereby said intnrned spring ends and said inclined faces coact to force the holder into and to retain it in position when the cam-levers are released or turned inward.

11. The combination of a platen, springcatches secured thereto, a card-holder provided with notched ends or arms, and levers pivoted between their ends on said springcatches and adapted to bear at their inner ends on the ends of the platen.

12. The combination of a platen, springcatches secured thereto, a card-holder pro- 

